Monday, July 7, 2014

You'd think that the parking lot on the South side of Erie Road from Derby to Ashwood was public property the way some people are carrying on about its recent sale. Next, they'll be appealing to the OMB and putting up yellow signs saying, "Keep Our Parking Lot in Steve Boyd's Hands." Can we also expect a petition and many delegations to council?

Oh wait, let's have a study to see if this is a good idea! And, if we don't like the results, let's have another! I see a pattern here and it isn't pretty. How dare the Molinaros and the DiCenzos sell their parking lot to a bunch of Americuns! (Rich Americuns at that.) It is our birthright to have that parking lot there for Steve Boyd to make money and sometimes the beautification committee too.

Yessiree, we can not tolerate that. Now it will be gated off like the Point Abino Lighthouse and people will have to park their cars elsewhere. Nevermind that the original plan was to build townhouses on the land until the "developer" ran out of cash. Nevermind that the Molinaros/DiCenzos had plans to develop the land should the condo deal have gone through.

Does anyone really think that its fate was to remain a parking lot in perpetuity? The same people who were all for eliminating the public parking lot area on the south side of Erie Road at Bay Beach, which was bringing in money through parking fees, are now upset that the privately owned space that was used as a parking lot will now become a private parking area for residents of the Crystal Beach Tennis and Yacht Club and the Hill Association.

Why don't these whiners ask the town why it didn't buy the lot? Seems the town is in the property business of late, trying to buy some vacant industrial land in a Bonusing Bonanza to prop up the doomed race track for another season or two.

Poor Steve Boyd. Just when he thought he could continue his little side business, someone pulls the rug out from under him and he will be permanently out of business in September. From his now deleted remarks on Facebook, he had a bad summer last year, barely broke even. (That was before he realized that such undeclared income might be problematic in his run for councillor in Ward 5 and he erased those remarks and said his son runs the parking lot.) And he declares every cent he makes in the parking lot. Sure.

See folks, it's just like Joni Mitchell sings: "You don't know what you've got 'til its gone. They paved paradise and put in a parking lot."